AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn's checklist on special teams is long, and the players steady.

There's a big boot with punter Steven Clark and a veteran field goal kicker with Cody Parkey. Tre Mason also returns to handle kickoffs again.

But there is one big question mark the Tigers hope to erase in August.

"Our punt return game in the past, that's one area I haven't been real pleased," special teams coach Scott Fountain said earlier this month. "We've just got to find the right guy back there. You've got to catch the ball, but also you've got to be able to give him a little leeway to make that play and make something special happen."

Receiver Trovon Reed scores a touchdown in the Auburn A-Day game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., Saturday, April 20, 2013. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)

Auburn ranked ninth in the SEC in 2012, averaging 8.94 yards per return, but were the football version of Jekyll and Hyde at Jordan Hare Stadium and on the road. The Tigers were at their worst on the road, averaging only 2.5 yards per return to tie for 109th nationally and second-to-last in the SEC, according to CFBstats.com. They averaged 12.2 yards in seven home games.

Auburn's top two options -- juniors Quan Bray and Trovon Reed -- last season return this season, of course, but Fountain will allow several newcomers to enter the competition when practices begin in August. He especially has his eyes on two true freshman.

Three-star athlete Marcus Davis, a quarterback at American Heritage (Delray Beach, Fla.), will get a shot and so will four-star running back Johnathan Ford (New Hope High). Ford rushed for 1,669 yards and 27 touchdowns in eight games in 2012.

"I know they have expressed interest and we'll get in camp and we'll try them out early, see if they can do it, and if they can we'll give them a shot at it," Fountain said.

Bray averaged 8.5 yards on 16 returns and Reed averaged 12.5 yards on two returns in 2012. Both will be at or near the top of the depth chart when fall practices begin in August. Jonathan Jones and Corey Grant were in the mix in spring practices and figure to see more time at punt return in the fall.

Auburn's difficulties in the return game in 2012 actually improved during the season, jumping up to 15.3 yards per return in the final month of the season. Auburn's difference in wins and losses was also drastic -- 8.8 yards.

The Tigers only averaged 5 yards per return in SEC games, according to statistics compiled by CFBstats.com.